Tribute band will feature ‘Smooth Sounds’ of Carlos Santana tomorrow at lodge

The number one rated Santana tribute band in the country will be performing in the Holiday Bay Room at the lodge tomorrow, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. Once again, the community has responded to a concert from the Canyon Lake Fine Arts Guild with yet another sold out performance.

“Smooth Sounds of Santana” will feature burning renditions of classics such as “Evil Ways,” “Black Magic Woman,” “Oye Como Va,” and of course, “Smooth.” These talented musicians will capture the multicultural sound and spirit that have made Santana a rock radio mainstay for decades.

According to the Fine Art Guild President Travis Montgomery, concert-goers will hear all of Santana’sgreatest hits as well as some lesser-known classics that will have even the most die-hard fans reminiscing about ‘back in the day’.

From the tone of the guitars to the sound of the keyboard and Latin percussion, this retrospective-style show finds that iconic “Santana” sound. “Smooth Sounds” performs tunes from all eras of Santana’s storied career; from the group’s early Woodstock days almost 50 years ago to Santana’s more recent smash hits.

Santana pioneered a highly original fusion of rock, salsa, jazz and blues. The band’s sound features his melodic, blues-based guitar lines set against congas and timbales not generally heard in rock music. “If you like Santana, you’ll love this concert. They offer the look, sound and feel of an actual Santana concert,” said Fine Arts Guild Program Director Ron Martel “Every song in the set will not only be recognizable but probably played a special role in the lives of our audience.”

“Smooth Sounds” founder Gary Albano established a simple stated mission; “To faithfully recreate the music of one of the greatest guitar players ever, Carlos Santana.” The seven gifted musicians that make up this band say that they give it all up on stage.

Like so many Guild events, “Smooth Sounds of Santana” is sold out. However, the next Guild tribute event is “The Beach Boys Christmas.” The “Catch a Wave” tribute band was featured at Fiesta Day several years ago. Guild Operations Director Bert Barbay said, “These terrific musicians have mastered the five-part harmonic vocals with the exact slurs, slides, scoops and the Beach Boy mannerisms.”

The band proudly claims to be the only tribute band selected to perform for Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys at the California state historical landmark dedication near the Beach Boys original home in Hawthorne, California, in May 2005.

Featured at Disneyland and the Disney Cruise Line, “Catch a Wave” was created to pay tribute to the unique harmonic California sound that was created by Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine. The group claims the feel-good songs about the beach, cars and California girls are the spark that ignites their flame in every performance.

As this concert will be Saturday, Dec., the group will include many songs from “The Beach Boys Christmas Album,” which went Gold in the mid-60s. Some of their songs, such as “Little Saint Nick” and “Man with All the Toys” are still played regularly on the radio every holiday season.

Ticket prices to all Guild concerts are the same for each event. VIP tickets with reserved seating are $45 and General Admission tickets are $25. The Fine Arts Guild recommends that those who wish to attend get their tickets soon as these events regularly sell out. Good seats are still available for the Christmas concert and can be purchased at the POA office, online at the Fine Arts Guild’s website at canyonlakeguild.com, or by calling 800-838-3006. Please note that only General Admission tickets are sold at the POA office and checks are the only form of payment.

At tomorrow’s “Smooth Sounds” concert, the Fine Arts Guild will be announcing its 2018 season. The specific artists will be announced then, but the Fine Arts Guild did release the following dates for concerts to be performed at the lodge, all on Saturdays: March 3, May 19, Aug. 25 and Nov. 3. By popular demand, the Fine Arts Guild will host another free summer concert on July 21 at Holiday Harbor Park.

Fine Arts Guild Secretary Bonnie Dubbs said, “We are grateful for the community’s overwhelming support this past year and excited about our 2018 schedule. As the demographics of our community changes, we annually conduct a survey of our audience, so the program will reflect their views more than ours.”

Members participate in the Fine Arts Guild in order to support the program that has provided so much quality music to the Canyon Lake community for the last 16 years.

“Last year, The Guild was overwhelmed with the support of this community. We grew membership by 50 percent. We value their support for our program and this year, we hope to do even better,” said Fine Arts Guild Membership Director Sue Bonner.

Different levels of membership are available. For just $10 per person, a “Contributor” receives Membership, including correspondence and announcements. For $50 per person, a “Friend” receives all the above benefits and is also entitled to attend the pre-concert receptions that include appetizers and beverages, including soft drinks and wine. The Fine Arts Guild quantifies this level of Membership as a $70 value.

For $100 per person, a “Sponsor” receives all the above, plus the Sponsor is entitled to preferred seat selection before non-members, typically in front of the $45 VIP Reserved section, but for the price of a $25 General Admission ticket. The Fine Arts Guild quantifies this level of Membership as a $150 value.

For $250 per person, a “Patron” receives all of the above, plus four season tickets, one reserved seat for each concert, selected before all other levels of Members as well as non-Members. A Patron may sit in the same preferred seat the entire season. The Fine Arts Guild quantifies this level of Membership as a $300 value.

Current Patrons will be able to acquire their existing seat for another year or request a different selection, subject to availability. All this information will be announced at the upcoming concert. In addition, information on the 2018 schedule and membership in the Fine Arts Guild is planned to be available on its website.

Over the last two years, online Guild ticket sales have increased dramatically. “We have made every effort to make this website the easiest site possible to access pertinent information as well as to effortlessly buy concert tickets online,” said Fine Arts Guild Activities Director Orlando Lopez.

Social Director Cathy Barr said, “Over 100 Guild members each event choose to enjoy our Social Receptions prior to the event. We, in the Guild, treat our guests to the most delicious appetizers and a range of beverages, which include soft drinks and wine. It gives our members a feeling of family, as well as expresses the Guild’s appreciation for their valued support and participation.”

Finance Director Dee Zasio said, “Because the support for our program has been so tremendous, I’m pleased to announce we will not be raising the prices of our Membership program this year, or for the foreseeable future. In fact, we plan to continue offering the same low price for each concert all year long. We even ensure that, at about $2, our online ticket service fees are significantly lower than other online ticketed events in the area.”

The Fine Arts Guild prides itself in working together as a team of volunteers to serve the community. With its eight Board Members all working each event, there is still much to do.

Fortunately, people in the community have offered their services to the club. So, the club is creating a new group called “Associates” who will assist at events. Dee added, “We want to ensure that we are responsive to our guests at each event.”

As a non-profit club that has been so well supported, the Fine Arts Guild returns its excess profits to the people of Canyon Lake. In August, the Fine Arts Guild funded a free concert, “Hot August Night,” attended by nearly 1,000 people in the community. Ron said, “It was a lot of work for the entire Board, but such a thrill to see so much enjoyment at Holiday Harbor, one of the most gorgeous venues anywhere; and you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

In the beginning, the Fine Arts Guild presented primarily symphonies and choral groups but evolved to swing, jazz, country and rock. Over the past 16 years, many people in the community have volunteered their time and efforts to advance the program and make it what it has become.

Travis said, “Our board reflects a wide range of musical preferences and represents a wide spectrum of ages. Despite our individual favorites, this program doesn’t exist for the sake of any one of us. We are constantly thinking of our audience. Mostly, as we deliver the many facets of our program, we are most proud of the fact that we function as a team; a team of volunteers who love music and love our little bit of paradise.”

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The Friday Flyer is Canyon Lake’s weekly community newspaper. It has been published continually since the community was formed in the 1970s and is now distributed as a full-color newspaper to Canyon Lake residents in addition to being available online. Please contact us to submit story and photo ideas as well as advertisements.